Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I sympathise with Senator Brian Hayes's travails in the traffic. I note the NRA met with a committee of the Oireachtas yesterday and said, yet again, it could not impose performance criteria on the West Link bridges because of the way the contract was written. In light of what we have heard here about the demands for performance appraisal from public servants and the demand that their contracts be effectively rewritten to ensure performance appraisal, I invite the Government to seek the best legal advice on whether it can impose performance criteria in this regard. That bridge is a disgrace. Figures were produced yesterday highlighting the inadequacy of the number of toll-booths. Despite having a traffic volume of more than five times that of the M1, there are less toll-booths. This is disgraceful and it is time this body was told it cannot abuse a State granted monopoly in the way it does.

Regarding a number of items on the Order of Business, it is a good idea in principle that matters are referred to an appropriate committee. However, both Houses should receive a report to ensure these are dealt with to the satisfaction of the committees and conclusions are drawn. Otherwise, we could have things bouncing between the Houses and the committees without any certainty that they were properly reflected on. I am not casting aspersions on any committee. However, there ought to be a simple process by which we would at least know where to find information to show a particular decision was taken.